That Will Never Work

This week’s guest Pat’s business centers on one of the most hyped and controversial investment forms ever – crypto currency.  His company The Giving Block is at the forefront of crypto-philanthropy, bringing a new generation of investors together with non-profits.Despite market turbulences this is one hot sector and his team has ballooned from 5 to 100 strong.  But the speed of success comes with its own hurdles - how do you sculpt company culture and your hiring strategy when you’re growing at this pace? This is undoubtedly one of Marc’s favorite topics to explore… so listen in for valuable tips on how to approach the growing pains that come with scaling fast. Want a deeper dive into these topics?  The paperback edition of Marc’s international best-seller That Will Never Work is out now in bookstores and online: www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530182 Want to be a guest? Head to Marcrandolph.com.  While you’re there, sign up for Marc’s newsletter. Feeling social?Tw: @mbrandolphIG: @ThatWillNeverWork LinkedIn: Marc_randolph  Marcrandolph.com

Many great entrepreneurial ideas were spawned in response to the pandemic.  For this week’s guest Kyle it all began with him wondering how he could recreate the in-person feeling of reading bedtime stories to his child in Canada when he was stuck in Texas while the borders were shut.  He also worried about how he could stop kids like his from falling behind.  His solution is the Edsoma app. So far everyone loves it – Shaquile O’Neill even just joined his advisory board!  But he is struggling to translate enthusiastic investor meetings into cash commitments.  Is it just because he’s pre-revenue or does he need to dig into other areas?Listen in for an episode packed with actionable tips for jumping those funding meeting hurdles… Want a deeper dive into these topics?  The paperback edition of Marc’s international best-seller That Will Never Work is out now in bookstores and online: www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530182 Want to be a guest? Head to Marcrandolph.com.  While you’re there, sign up for Marc’s newsletter. Feeling social?Tw: @mbrandolphIG: @ThatWillNeverWork LinkedIn: Marc_randolph  Marcrandolph.com

Many people dream about their passion project becoming a full time gig but Allison is one of those rare people who made it a reality.  Her love for honey bees became the Siller Pollinator Company and the initial momentum was gratifying.  But growth has stalled and this has her at a juncture… Can Marc help her find her scalability sweet-spot?Listen in for actionable tips on finding your focus and getting your business buzzing. Want a deeper dive into these topics?  The paperback edition of Marc’s international best-seller That Will Never Work is out now in bookstores and online: www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530182 Want to be a guest? Head to Marcrandolph.com.  While you’re there, sign up for Marc’s newsletter. Feeling social?Tw: @mbrandolphIG: @ThatWillNeverWork LinkedIn: Marc_randolph  Marcrandolph.com

Have you ever wondered what people do with the advice that Marc gives them on the show?Well, David Silberman, co-founder of PingPod, is here to tell you just that.The first time he and Marc talked, David was trying to strategize the growth of his ping pong venue business and one of the hot topics was whether to buy or lease locations. Now that the company has been in business for a while, find out how things have evolved.. and what has real time data told him about the key rent vs lease debate? Want a deeper dive into the topics discussed in today’s show?  The paperback edition of Marc’s international best-seller That Will Never Work is out now in bookstores and online: www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530182 Want to be a guest? Head to Marcrandolph.com.  While you’re there, sign up for Marc’s newsletter. Feeling social?Tw: @mbrandolphIG: @ThatWillNeverWork LinkedIn: Marc_randolph  Marcrandolph.com

How earth friendly are the so-called “earth friendly” products?  In the opinion of this week’s guest Justine Potashnik - not very.But she believes she has the answer in her Advanced Soapberry Formula, derived from Himalayan tree nuts.A product like this has a higher cost to create than its competitors, which has her at a juncture - should the company take a lower margin to get onto shelves faster or focus on being premium? Listen in for Marc’s tips on how to make the pivotal decisions in your product sales strategy when entering a crowded market.  Want a deeper dive into the topics discussed in today’s show?  The paperback edition of Marc’s international best-seller That Will Never Work is out now in bookstores and online: www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530182 Want to be a guest? Head to Marcrandolph.com.  While you’re there, sign up for Marc’s newsletter. Feeling social?Tw: @mbrandolphIG: @ThatWillNeverWork LinkedIn: Marc_randolph  Marcrandolph.com

Belissimo Hats has achieved something rare in today’s market – the company has an enthusiastic celebrity following without ever having to pay a dime in influencer marketing money.   They can count mega stars like Jamie Foxx and Snoop Dogg among the fans who just love to post about wearing their product. But the problem is co-founders, brothers Levi and Yossi Chayo, are still trying to do it all themselves.   Are their worries about delegating getting in the way of the growth they could achieve?  Listen in for actionable tips you can apply to your own company for scaling smartly. Want a deeper dive into the topics discussed in today’s show?  The paperback edition of Marc’s international best-seller That Will Never Work is out now in bookstores and online: www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530182 Want to be a guest? Head to Marcrandolph.com.  While you’re there, sign up for Marc’s newsletter. Feeling social?Tw: @mbrandolphIG: @ThatWillNeverWork LinkedIn: Marc_randolph  Marcrandolph.com

Faith has a patent pending product and she thinks it’s time to take it out to investors.  Trouble is, as an Entrepreneurship & Marketing Junior her live pitching experience for The Shaving Step was limited to student pitch contests.   So what does that mean now that she wants to get real world investment?  Listen in for a masterclass from Marc on how to get yourself ready to take your product out to the market, with actionable advice not just for young entrepreneurs but for anyone getting ready to pitch. This episode is part of TWNW’s Student Specials and was taped at High Point University, North Carolina. Want a deeper dive into the topics discussed in today’s show?  The paperback edition of Marc’s international best-seller That Will Never Work is out now in bookstores and online: www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530182 Want to be a guest? Head to Marcrandolph.com.  While you’re there, sign up for Marc’s newsletter. Feeling social?Tw: @mbrandolphIG: @ThatWillNeverWork LinkedIn: Marc_randolph  Marcrandolph.com

Natasha’s dream wedding went up in flames just before the big day.  As she picked up the pieces of the breakdown of her nine year relationship, she had a realization: she was in way more need of all those items from her gift registry now than she had ever been when she and her fiancé were still together.   As she moved back into her parents’ basement she had a lightbulb moment - there was a whole potential industry that could be created to help people like her get back on their feet after a break up.  And so she founded MyBreakUpRegistry.com.Through hard work and social media savvy, Natasha’s got the site to a solid user base.  But to go big she needs to figure out how to infiltrate a market that doesn’t really exist yet.  Listen as Marc suggests strategies to implement when creating a new industry is your business model.  Can he help MyBreakUpRegistry find its happily ever after?   Listen in and find out... Want a deeper dive into the topics discussed in today’s show?  The paperback edition of Marc’s international best-seller That Will Never Work is out now in bookstores and online: www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530182 Want to be a guest? Head to Marcrandolph.com.  While you’re there, sign up for Marc’s newsletter. Feeling social?Tw: @mbrandolphIG: @ThatWillNeverWork LinkedIn: Marc_randolph  Marcrandolph.com Clip credit: Natasha Pearl Hansen: I was Supposed to get Married Today

Have you ever wondered what people do with the advice Marc gives them?  This week’s guest Paul Fontanelli was in the planning stages of his Bolder Adventure Park when he appeared as one of the first guests on the show.  His business is an ambitious indoor venue out of Grand Prairie, Texas, which seeks to bring together everything from rock climbing to ice-skating under one massive roof.  He had questions not just about launching the business, but also about the tricky work-life balance that comes with being an entrepreneur and still trying to spend precious hours with your kids. Did Paul take Marc’s advice? Did he ignore it?   What does he need help with now? Listen in to find out… Want a deeper dive into the topics discussed in today’s show?  The paperback edition of Marc’s international best-seller That Will Never Work is out now in bookstores and online: www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530182 Want to be a guest? Head to Marcrandolph.com.  While you’re there, sign up for Marc’s newsletter. Feeling social?Tw: @mbrandolphIG: @ThatWillNeverWork LinkedIn: Marcrandolph  Marcrandolph.com This is our last episode of the season.  Have a great end to your summer and we’ll be back after Labor Day!

Sometimes entrepreneurs get so caught up in making their idea perfect, they forget to collide it with reality. Is that what’s happening to this week’s guest Reilly? His site Fleur.ai seeks to disrupt and democratize the art world. But it’s been tough. It’s an idea he and his co-founders passionately believe the world needs but it’s also a pitch that Marc’s heard a few times before.So what makes Fleur different? Have they got enough data to prove their premise? Listen in for an actionable episode that hones in on start-up 101… Want a deeper dive into the topics discussed in today’s show? The paperback edition of Marc’s international best-seller That Will Never Work is out now in bookstores and online: www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530182 Want to be a guest? Head to Marcrandolph.com. While you’re there, sign up for Marc’s newsletter. Feeling social?Tw: @mbrandolphIG: @ThatWillNeverWork LinkedIn: Marcrandolph  Marcrandolph.com

Ben is stuck.  He’s the founder of outdoor pop-up concept WEDriveIns, which repurposes disused urban parking lots as drive-in movie theaters. City officials have been gratifyingly swift to support the project which provides Covid safe entertainment and brings customers to shopping areas.  It all looks so promising… So why can’t Ben scale?Well, he needs the permission of the movie studios to use the technology to get him there.  And, they ain’t budging.This mindset reminds Marc of the early Netflix days and so he calls on the expertise of his “jungle guide” Mitch Lowe who not only helped overcome similar issues as co-founding executive of Netflix but went on to disrupt the industry as CEO of MoviePass and President of Redbox.    Can Marc and Mitch help Ben break through the analogue approach?Listen in to find out… Like the topics on today’s show? Why not take a deeper dive! Mitch’s book Watch and Learn: How I Turned Hollywood Upside Down with Netflix, Redbox, and MoviePass is out September 6th. Pre-orders: https://www.hachettebooks.com/titles/mitch-lowe/watch-and-learn/9780306827266/ The paperback edition of Marc’s international best-seller That Will Never Work is out now in all good bookstores and online: www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530182 Want to be a guest? Head to Marcrandolph.com.  While you’re there, sign up for Marc’s newsletter.Feeling social?Tw: @mbrandolphIG: @ThatWillNeverWork LinkedIn: Marcrandolph  Marcrandolph.com

Matt has an intriguing question - can a founder work just six months of the year and still have a successful business? Frightmare - his UK based scare attraction - turns a great profit every year.   But while the event itself is seasonal, he’s realized that to be a success the business needs backroom staff year round.  But he’d rather spend the off season in his camper, driving between the ski resorts of Europe.  Can a work-life balance really extend to taking 6 full months of Van Life at a time?   Or is it just a company culture disaster waiting to happen?Listen in as Marc helps explore whether it's possible to have it all... Like the topics on today’s show? Why not take a deeper dive! The paperback edition of international best-seller That Will Never Work is out now in all good bookstores and online: www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530182 Want to be a guest? Head to marcrandolph.com/guest to apply.  While you’re there, sign up for Marc’s newsletter: marcrandolph.com/newsletter/Feeling social?Tw: @mbrandolphIG: @ThatWillNeverWork LinkedIn: Marcrandolph  Marcrandolph.com

Krystina decided to take the leap and try to make her home- bakery business her full time gig just before the pandemic hit.  While most people would have hit pause, she instead reimagined her offering and The Messy Cookie home kit was born.  Big names like Wayfair and Ebay jumped on board for her delicious virtual team-building escape.  But while she’s been able to get in the virtual door once, she’s struggled to get repeat business from the big companies for her cookie decorating parties.  What’s holding her back? Listen in for a masterclass in how to convert your business from a product into a brand.  Like the topics on today’s show? Why not take a deeper dive! The paperback edition of international best-seller That Will Never Work is out now in all good bookstores and online: www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530182 Want to be a guest? Head to marcrandolph.com/guest to apply.  While you’re there, sign up for Marc’s newsletter: marcrandolph.com/newsletter/Feeling social?Tw: @mbrandolphIG: @ThatWillNeverWork LinkedIn: Marcrandolph  Marcrandolph.com

Some industries don’t want to be disrupted, but that doesn’t mean you should step back from the fight!  This week’s guest Alex Koefman knows he has a solution that surgeons like him all over the world need – but he needs to form partnerships with medical device companies in order for his SurgeryTV app to be successful.   The trouble is, they just aren’t biting.The current system of creating an archive of videos involves a wearying series of steps including thumb drives, home downloads and expertise with editing software… but he has a way to do it with just a few clicks on your phone.It’s such a clear solve to a problem - why is this neurosurgeon getting ignored?Listen in for a masterclass in how to approach - and convince – reluctant potential partner companies to engage.  Like the topics on today’s show? Why not take a deeper dive! The paperback edition of international best-seller That Will Never Work is out now in all good bookstores and online: www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530182 Want to be a guest? Head to marcrandolph.com/guest to apply.  While you’re there, sign up for Marc’s newsletter: marcrandolph.com/newsletter/Feeling social?Tw: @mbrandolphIG: @ThatWillNeverWork LinkedIn: Marcrandolph  Marcrandolph.com

When bars and pubs across the world closed during the pandemic, so did their game nights… For this week’s guest Mark Walsh it was a heart-stopping moment as British pub quizzes were his business. He immediately set to work reimagining this unique style of trivia entertainment for remote times by creating his Kwizzbit app.    The growth has been so fast that his lean team has been working to redevelop the platform to be able to host up to 100,000 players at a time. But Mark’s been struggling to meet the demands on his time.  Can he scale himself? And how should he approach scaling his team? Listen in for tips on growing your business as it begins to move past its fledgling stage and the metrics for making the tough decisions that come with success. Why not take a deeper dive? The paperback edition of international best-seller That Will Never Work is out now in all good bookstores and online: www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530182 Want to be a guest? Head to marcrandolph.com/guest to apply.  While you’re there, sign up for Marc’s newsletter: marcrandolph.com/newsletter/Feeling social?Tw: @mbrandolphIG: @ThatWillNeverWork LinkedIn: Marcrandolph  Marcrandolph.com

There are few industries more resistant to disruption than education… But despite the odds, this week’s guest Benny Boas seems to be making some headway.   He’s the founder of Upright Education, a bootcamp-style program aimed at helping adult learners rapidly re-skill in tech. The course is intended to be white-labeled at colleges. But while the program runs at a fast pace, the company’s growth isn’t… The market changes so fast, shouldn’t it be self-evident to higher education institutions that the workforce needs to be able to re-skill just as fast?What could he be doing better to try to get colleges and learners on board? Dive into this episode to hear actionable tips for sales and marketing strategies that will help you tackle even the most resistant of industries.   Why not take a deeper dive? The paperback edition of international best-seller That Will Never Work is out now in all good bookstores and online: www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530182 Want to be a guest on the show? Head to marcrandolph.com/guest to apply.  While you’re there, sign up for Marc’s newsletter: marcrandolph.com/newsletter/Feeling social?Tw: @mbrandolphIG: @ThatWillNeverWork LinkedIn: Marcrandolph  Marcrandolph.com

City red tape seems so baked into American life, that it stopped being a problem people even bothered trying to solve. But when Covid hit, it forced the opportunity for change. Businesses – especially restaurants - faced fast changing regulations and had to be able to get the new permits they needed to operate at speed, or face going under. No business, means no city tax and the city itself facing a funding shortfall.This presented the opening for this week’s guest Catherine Geanuracos to move forward her Los Angeles based company CityGrows, which streamlines the permitting process.This no-code, low-cost, subscription-based site requires little to no training, doing away with reams of paper and clunky, time consuming waits at the counter.So surely cities everywhere should be racing to sign up? Well… that next part is tricky… Listen in as Marc helps Catherine figure out how her red-tape cutting business can cut through the red tape itself. Why not take a deeper dive? The paperback edition of international best-seller That Will Never is out now in all good bookstores and online: www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530182 Want to be a guest? Head to marcrandolph.com/guest to apply.  While you’re there, sign up for Marc’s newsletter: marcrandolph.com/newsletter/Feeling social?Tw: @mbrandolphIG: @ThatWillNeverWork LinkedIn: Marcrandolph  Marcrandolph.com

Where to put the mountains of trash humans create is a problem that only seems to keep growing. Recycling is one part of solving the problem… the other is having consumer products last longer so we don’t create as much garbage to begin with.  That’s the thinking of this week’s guest Chris Burrage, founder of San Francisco based Proclamation Goods.  With some savvy social media, the company’s core product – an ultra durable three-piece pan set – is becoming a sensation with the slow food set.  Its no-nonsense anti-coating, American-made vibe has led to design awards, a deal with Williams Sonoma and features in Food & Wine Magazine. But as the company moves out of boot-strap mode, Chris is still trying to figure out some management 101 - early team development and when and how to hire.  And delegation shouldn’t feel like a full time job in itself... right?Listen in for some savvy advice on actioning a hiring strategy that will help any CEO grow.   Why not take a deeper dive? The paperback edition of international best-seller That Will Never Work is out now in all good bookstores and online: www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530182 Want to be a guest? Head to marcrandolph.com/guest to apply.  While you’re there, sign up for Marc’s newsletter: marcrandolph.com/newsletter/Feeling social? Marc would love to hear from you:Tw: @mbrandolphIG: @ThatWillNeverWork LinkedIn: Marcrandolph  Marcrandolph.com

Stephanie’s cracked the hardest part – her Austin, TX, designer boutiques have seen record growth this past year despite the pandemic.  She knows for a fact she’s taking sales away from the big hitters like Nordstroms, Revolve and Amazon - her customers just prefer the personal touch she brings to the sales experience. But now that she’s setting her sights on expanding into other cities she’s got a hurdle to overcome – if the reason her clients love Estilo is because the experience feels so unique, is that something that’s even scalable?   Listen in on this lively discussion as Marc workshops fascinating strategies for how to scale uniqueness. Want to take a deeper dive? The paperback edition of international best-seller That Will Never is out now in all good bookstores and online: www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530182 Want to be a guest on That Will Never Work? Head to marcrandolph.com/guest to apply.  While you’re there, sign up for Marc’s newsletter: marcrandolph.com/newsletter/Feeling social? Marc would love to hear from you:Tw: @mbrandolphIG: @ThatWillNeverWork LinkedIn: Marcrandolph  

In the summer of 1998, Reed and I flew up to Seattle to meet with Jeff Bezos to discuss nothing other than potentially selling Netflix to Amazon. It was a decision that would have serious implications. Listen to me tell the whole story in this free chapter from the audiobook of the international bestseller: That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea, now available in Paperback!The paperback edition is out now in all good bookstores and online: www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530182